Genus 31. 



THISTLE FAMILY. 



429 



61. Aster missouriensis Britton. Missouri 

 Aster. Fig. 4342. 



Aster missouriensis Britton, in Britt. & Brown, 111. Fl. 3 : 

 378. 1898. 



Stem densely puberulent or pubescent, at least 

 above, much branched, 2 high or more. Leaves thin, 

 oblong-lanceolate to oblanceolate, acute or acumi- 

 nate at the apex, sharply serrate above the middle. 

 gradually tapering to an entire sessile or slightly 

 clasping base, or the lower petioled, puberulent above, 

 finely pubescent beneath, the larger 3'-4' long, the 

 upper much smaller, entire; heads 6"-8" broad, pan- 

 icled, short-peduncled, or terminating short leafy 

 branchlets, sometimes somewhat secund ; involucre 

 z"-3" high, its linear acute bracts well imbricated, 

 ciliate or pubescent; rays white. 



In moist soil, Kansas, Missouri and Iowa. Sept.-Oct. 



-\ a 



62. Aster Tradescanti L. Tradescant's 



Aster. Michaelmas Daisy. Fig. 4343. 



Aster Tradescanti L. Sp. PI. 876. 1753. 



Stem slender, paniculately branched, 2-$ high, 

 the branches usually ascending and often pubes- 

 cent in lines. Stem leaves linear-lanceolate or 

 lanceolate, acuminate at the apex, narrowed to a 

 sessile base, 3'-6' long, li"-6" wide, glabrous or 

 nearly so on both sides, commonly thin, sharply 

 serrate in the middle with low teeth, or sometimes 

 entire; heads very numerous, racemose but not 

 secund on the branches, 5"-8" broad ; involucre 

 hemispheric to broadly turbinate, 2"-i" high, its 

 bracts linear, acute, appressed, green-tipped, im- 

 bricated in 4 or 5 series ; rays white or nearly so, 

 numerous, 2"-3" long ; pappus white ; achenes 

 minutely pubescent. 



In fields and swamps, Maine to Virginia, Ontario, 

 Illinois and Missouri. Aug.-Oct. 



Aster saxatilis (Fernald) Blanchard, of rocky situ- 

 ations in New England, appears to be a low race of 

 this species, rather than of A. vimineus. 



63. Aster Faxoni Porter. Faxon's Aster. 

 Fig- 4344- 



Aster polyphyllus Willd. Enum. 888. 1809. Not Moench. 



1802. 

 Aster Faxoni Porter, Mem. Torr. Club 5: 323. 1894. 

 A. ericoides Randi Britton, in Britt. & Brown, 111. Fl. 3 : 



379- 1898. 



Glabrous throughout ; stem paniculately or corym- 

 bosely branched; rather stout, *-5 high. Stem 

 leaves lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, acute or acumi- 

 nate, narrowed to a sessile base, or the lower into 

 margined petioles, entire or nearly so, firm, 2'-5' 

 long, 2"-4" wide, those of the branches gradually 

 smaller; basal leaves oblong to spatulate, obtuse, 

 dentate, or entire; heads not very numerous, 6"-g" 

 broad; involucre hemispheric, nearly 4" high, its 

 bracts linear-lanceolate, acute or subulate, green- 

 tipped or green on the back, imbricated in about 3 

 series, the outer shorter; rays bright white, rarely 

 purplish, 3"-4" long, numerous ; pappus white ; 

 achenes minutely pubescent. 



On moist cliffs. Maine and Vermont to Pennsylvania. 

 Wisconsin and North Carolina. Aug.-Sept. 



